1. Related Invention
This invention is related to Ser. No. 07/490,092, Filed Mar. 6, 1990, and entitled "Circuit for Nulling the Talker's Speech in a Conference Call and Method Thereof" by the same inventor.
2. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to digital domain conference calls on a bridge in a telephone network and, in particular, first to a circuit for permitting two parties to conduct a whisper conference in the conference call while attending the conference call without the other parties in the conference call hearing the whisper conference and second to a whisper circuit combined with a talker nulling circuit.
3. Statement of the Problem
A problem exists in present conference calls for a conference bridge in a telephone network wherein two parties to the conference call desire to conduct a whisper conference (i.e., their conference is private and not broadcast to the other parties on the conference call). A need, therefore, exists for a circuit for use on a digital domain conferencing bridge in a telephone system that permits at least two parties on the conference call to conduct a whisper conference wherein they still continue to hear the conversation on the conference call but wherein the other parties to the conference call cannot hear the whisper conference.
A problem also exists in present conference calls on the telephone network wherein an echo is heard by a talker when a large number of talkers are summed together as discussed in the above-identified related invention. A number of approaches are available for minimizing the echo that a talker hears when talking such as half duplexing circuitry, voice activated switching, and the like. Despite the existence of several solutions to the problem, a need exists for a circuit for use in the digital domain that not only shares circuitry with the whisper circuit but that also eliminates one hundred percent of the talker's speech component during transmission back to the ears of a talker in a conference call.
4. Solution to the Problem
The present invention provides a solution to both of the problems set forth above.
A whisper circuit is provided for a digital domain conferencing bridge in a telephone system that permits two parties in the conference call to conduct a whisper conference between each other without being heard by the other parties on the conference call. At the same time, the two parties to the whisper conference can still hear the entire conversation being carried on by all of the other parties to the conference call. The remaining parties on the conference call are not aware that the two parties are having a whisper conference.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a solution in that through a combinational circuit talker nulling and whisper conferencing are both provided. The talker nulling circuit is combined with the whisper circuit of the present invention to remove the digitized speech of the other individual talkers on the conference call (other than the two parties to the whisper conference).